Before playoffs, the biggest test in local tennis is the Lewis Cup. The best teams around were in that tournament.
Senior Anastasia Drulias knows all about individual awards, but a Lewis Cup?
"I don't even think I've been in the final before so when we were in the finals we were like, wow we could actually win that trophy,” high school tennis senior Anastasia Drulias said.
She led the way playing five matches and losing just four games, helping Garces Memorial High School to their first cup win in five years.
"To win 6-0, 6-1 the most part for the whole time, that gives our team a leg up,” coach Barb Johnston Hill said.
For four years Drulias has been dominating opponents. She won a valley title her freshman year, but her sophomore year- she said the pressure to repeat was too great.
Last year Drulias suffered from a back injury that she's still battling today.
"I've tried to shorten my matches by coming to the net because I physically cannot play,” Drulias said.
Doctors still can't diagnose the problem but that hasn't stopped her from playing. She's currently 13-2 in singles -- her best season since her freshman year.
"Every single time I hit a back hand I feel my back, so I know that I'm playing through it and I'm still being successful so that's a really good feeling,” she said.
Coach Barb said the secret to her success is her ability to outthink her opponent, something that's obvious when you hear her GPA.
"I had a 5.01 so I'm the valedictorian of my class,” Drulias said. At Garces' Fall Awards ceremony Anastasia's name was called, well, a lot. So it only made sense to present her there with a plaque provided by Kern Trophies as our athlete of the week.
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